Structural insight into how WDR4 promotes the tRNA N7-methylguanosine methyltransferase activity of METTL1.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Jin X
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10300002 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Structural insight into how WDR4 promotes the tRNA N7-methylguanosine methyltransferase activity of METTL1.
Jin Xiaohuan X Guan Zeyuan Z Hu Na N He Chunjie C Yin Ping P Gong Zhou Z Zhang Delin D
Cell discovery 20230627 1
Similar Datasets
Project description:BackgroundCancer cells selectively promote the translation of oncogenic transcripts to stimulate cancer progression. Although growing evidence has revealed that tRNA modifications and related genes participate in this process, their roles in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we sought to investigate the function and mechanisms of the transfer RNA (tRNA) N7-methylguanosine (m7 G) modification in regulating the occurrence and development of HNSCC.MethodsCell lost-of-function and gain-of-function assays, xenograft models, conditional knockout and knockin mouse models were used to study the physiological functions of tRNA m7 G modification in HNSCC tumorigenesis. tRNA modification and expression profiling, mRNA translation profiling and rescue assays were performed to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was conducted to explore the tumor microenvironment changes.ResultsThe tRNA m7 G methyltransferase complex components Methyltransferase-like 1 (METTL1)/WD repeat domain 4 (WDR4) were upregulated in HNSCC and associated with a poor prognosis. Functionally, METTL1/WDR4 promoted HNSCC progression and metastasis in cell-based and transgenic mouse models. Mechanistically, ablation of METTL1 reduced the m7 G levels of 16 tRNAs, inhibiting the translation of a subset of oncogenic transcripts, including genes related to the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway. In addition, chemical modulators of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway reversed the effects of Mettl1 in mouse HNSCC. Furthermore, scRNA-seq results revealed that Mettl1 knockout in mouse tumor cells altered the immune landscape and cell-cell interaction between the tumor and stromal compartment.ConclusionsThe tRNA m7 G methyltransferase METTL1 was found to promote the development and malignancy of HNSCC through regulating global mRNA translation, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and found to alter immune landscape. METTL1 could be a promising treatment target for HNSCC patients.
| S-EPMC8923133 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The cancer cells selectively promote the translation of specific oncogenic transcripts to stimulate cancer progression. Although growing evidence has revealed that tRNA modifications and related genes participate in this process, their roles in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain largely uncharacterized. Here we found that tRNA m7G methyltransferase complex components METTL1/WDR4 were both upregulated in HNSCC and associated with poor prognosis. Functionally, METTL1/WDR4 promoted HNSCC progression and metastasis in cell-based and transgenic mouse models. Mechanistically, ablation of METTL1 reduced m7G levels of 16 tRNAs, causing translational inhibition of a subset of oncogenic transcripts, including the genes related to PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, chemical modulators of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway can reverse the effects of Mettl1 in HNSCC. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing results revealed that depletion of Mettl1 in tumor cells altered the immune landscape and cell-cell interaction between tumor and stromal compartment. In summary, this study uncovered the physiological function and mechanism of mis-translation regulation mediated by tRNA m7G modification in HNSCC, and suggested that targeting METTL1 could be a promising treatment strategy for HNSCC patients.
2022-03-23 | GSE172146 | GEO
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
2022-12-31 | GSE173761 | GEO
Project description:The tRNA N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification is not essential for yeast growth, but in mammals mis-regulations of tRNA m7G modification cause stem cell defect and developmental disorders. Here we found that tRNA m7G methyltransferase complex components METTL1 and WDR4 are elevated in lung cancer tissues and associated with poor lung cancer prognosis. Functionally, depletion of METTL1 or WDR4 suppresses proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells. In addition, forced expression of METTL1 or WDR4 promotes lung cancer progression depending on the tRNA m7G methyltransferase activity. Mechanistically, METTL1 knockdown leads to reduced tRNA m7G modification and decreased expression of m7G-modified tRNAs. Depletion of METTL1 selectively reduces the translation of a subset of oncogenic transcripts, including the genes related to cell proliferation in a m7G related codon dependent manner. Our study uncovered a new layer of translation regulation mechanism mediated by tRNA m7G modification, provided strong evidence to support the important physiological function of mis-regulated tRNA modification in cancer, and suggested that targeting METTL1 could be a promising strategy for lung cancer treatment.
2022-12-31 | GSE173760 | GEO
Project description:The tRNA N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification is not essential for yeast growth, but in mammals mis-regulations of tRNA m7G modification cause stem cell defect and developmental disorders. Here we found that tRNA m7G methyltransferase complex components METTL1 and WDR4 are elevated in lung cancer tissues and associated with poor lung cancer prognosis. Functionally, depletion of METTL1 or WDR4 suppresses proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells. In addition, forced expression of METTL1 or WDR4 promotes lung cancer progression depending on the tRNA m7G methyltransferase activity. Mechanistically, METTL1 knockdown leads to reduced tRNA m7G modification and decreased expression of m7G-modified tRNAs. Depletion of METTL1 selectively reduces the translation of a subset of oncogenic transcripts, including the genes related to cell proliferation in a m7G related codon dependent manner. Our study uncovered a new layer of translation regulation mechanism mediated by tRNA m7G modification, provided strong evidence to support the important physiological function of mis-regulated tRNA modification in cancer, and suggested that targeting METTL1 could be a promising strategy for lung cancer treatment.
2022-12-31 | GSE173750 | GEO
Project description:Specific, regulated modification of RNAs is important for proper gene expression1,2. tRNAs are rich with various chemical modifications that affect their stability and function3,4. 7-Methylguanosine (m7G) at tRNA position 46 is a conserved modification that modulates steady-state tRNA levels to affect cell growth5,6. The METTL1-WDR4 complex generates m7G46 in humans, and dysregulation of METTL1-WDR4 has been linked to brain malformation and multiple cancers7-22. Here we show how METTL1 and WDR4 cooperate to recognize RNA substrates and catalyse methylation. A crystal structure of METTL1-WDR4 and cryo-electron microscopy structures of METTL1-WDR4-tRNA show that the composite protein surface recognizes the tRNA elbow through shape complementarity. The cryo-electron microscopy structures of METTL1-WDR4-tRNA with S-adenosylmethionine or S-adenosylhomocysteine along with METTL1 crystal structures provide additional insights into the catalytic mechanism by revealing the active site in multiple states. The METTL1 N terminus couples cofactor binding with conformational changes in the tRNA, the catalytic loop and the WDR4 C terminus, acting as the switch to activate m7G methylation. Thus, our structural models explain how post-translational modifications of the METTL1 N terminus can regulate methylation. Together, our work elucidates the core and regulatory mechanisms underlying m7G modification by METTL1, providing the framework to understand its contribution to biology and disease.
| S-EPMC9930641 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Aberrant translation regulation by METTL1/WDR4-mediated tRNA N7-methylguanosine modification drives HNSCC progression
| PRJNA722238 | ENA
Project description:METTL1/WDR4 mediated tRNA N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modifications promote mRNA translation and lung cancer progression
| PRJNA726973 | ENA
Project description:Although N7-methylguanosine (m7G) is one of the most frequent RNA modifications, it has received little attention. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a highly malignant and easily metastatic tumor, eagerly needing for novel therapeutic strategy. Herein, a novel m7G risk signature (METTL1, NCBP1, NUDT1 and NUDT5) was constructed using the Lasso regression analysis. It possessed highly prognostic value and could improve the predictive accuracy and clinical making-decision benefit of traditional prognostic model. Its prognostic value was also successfully validated in GSE19750 cohort. Through CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, ssGSEA and GSEA analyzes, high-m7G risk score was found to be closely associated with increased enrichment of glycolysis and suppression of anti-cancer immune response. Therapeutic correlation of m7G risk signature was also investigated using tumor mutation burden, the expressions of immune checkpoints, TIDE score, IMvigor 210 cohort and TCGA cohort. m7G risk score was a potential biomarker for predicting the efficacy of ICBs and mitotane. Furthermore, we explored the biofunctions of METTL1 in ACC cells through a series of experimentations. Overexpression of METTL1 stimulated the proliferation, migration and invasion of H295R and SW13 cells. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that the infiltrating levels of CD8+ T cells was lower and that of macrophages was higher in clinical ACC samples with high METTL1 expression compared to that in low expression ones. Silencing METTL1 could significantly inhibited tumor growth in mouse xenograft model. Western blot assays showed that METTL1 positively regulated the expression of glycolysis rate-limiting enzyme HK1. Finally, miR-885-5p and CEBPB were predicted as the upstream regulators of METTL1 through data mining of the public databases. In conclusions, m7G regulatory genes well represented by METTL1 profoundly affected the prognosis, tumor immune, therapeutic outcomes, and malignant progression of ACC.
| S-EPMC9989616 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Radiofrequency heat ablation is an ideal radical cure for HCC treatment; however, insufficient radiofrequency ablation (IRFA) could lead to a high recurrence rate. N7-methylguanosine (m7G) on tRNAs is a heat-responding modification that is critical for yeast survival under high temperature, while its function and mechanism in HCC recurrence after IRFA are unknown. Here, we found that IRFA significantly up-regulates the level of m7G tRNA modification and its methyltransferase complex components METTL1 and WDR4 in multiple systems including HCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse, HCC tissues of patients, sublethal-heat-treated models of HCC cell lines and organoids. Functionally, gain- or loss-of function assays showed that METTL1 mediated m7G tRNA modification promotes HCC metastasis under sublethal heat exposure both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that METTL1 and m7G tRNA modification enhance the translation of SLUG and SNAIL in a codon frequency dependent manner under sublethal heat exposure. Overexpression of SLUG and SNAIL rescued the malignant potency of METTL1 knockdown HCC cells after sublethal heat stress. Our study uncovers the important physiological functions of m7G tRNA modification in heat stress responses and HCC recurrence after IRFA and suggests that targeting METTL1-m7G-SLUG and SNAIL axis could be a promising strategy to prevent HCC metastasis after radiofrequency heat ablation treatment.
2022-11-20 | GSE199966 | GEO